Help Fight to Keep Veterans Day Free of Commercialization

“Societies and cultures evolve and we no longer have with us most of the 16 million veterans of World War II. And somewhere along the way, America’s retailers, not to mention the majority of our country’s citizenry, lost their bearings and Veterans Day became just another promotional opportunity.

We may not be able to go back to the way things were. But we shouldn’t be throwing out the baby with the bathwater. So I’d like to offer a challenge to my fellow citizens and to America’s retailers, especially those national chains that wrap themselves up in the flag and run all those red-white-and-blue Veterans Day ads, to stop saying they support our troops and actually do something tangible to demonstrate that support.”

Ruth Stonesifer
former National President of American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. and Mother of SPC Ranger Kris Stonesifer, who was killed in action on October 19, 2001.

George Washington gave the best explanation ever for always holding our veterans in high esteem.

“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.”

George Washington
Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, American Revolutionary War
1st President of the United States (1789–1797)

Should the practice of commercializing Veterans Day continue to persist, will our children, or their children’s children or their grandchildren be able to correctly answer this question?

Or will the constant corrosion of a mixed message eventually dim their recollection?

There are times and places when the common good, along with human decency, should prevail as the guiding light.

Be proactive now. Use your social media platforms and Internet websites to help campaign against the practice of treating our Veterans as nothing more than marketing tools — specifically, for hustling money with advertised sales that only pretend to observe TheirDay.

Let these private interests know, just because they can doesn’t mean they should.

For additional information, and access to free resources for supporting this cause, visit these links: